Queensland LNG industry employs 30,000 people

As Queensland’s CSG and LNG sector ramps up to meet first export, the industry now employs close to 30,000 people and is worth more than $60 billion plus in investment.

Opening Arrow Energy’s new headquarters in Brisbane yesterday, Deputy Premier and Minister for State Development, Infrastructure and Planning Jeff Seeney said the figures were positive as the state’s CSG/LNG projects moved from concept to their first delivery of LNG overseas.

“The three Queensland LNG plants on Curtis Island are world-firsts for converting coal seam gas to liquefied natural gas for export and at a time of global uncertainty this industry has been the driving force behind growth in our great state,” Seeney said.

“This $60 billion-plus of investment is flowing throughout the state and transforming regional communities.

Seeney said as work to finish the projects on Curtis Island pushed ahead, the three companies operating the LNG plants continued to invest billions of dollars.

“…QGC and its contractors currently employ 11,600 people and since January 2010 has spent $12 billion in Australia. Of this, $9.6 billion was spent here in Queensland.

“Direct and indirect employees at the APLNG project total 10,100 at the end of April this year.

“APLNG has estimated that at last December its global spend was $10 billion, with around $6.9 billion spent in Queensland.”

“Santos’ GLNG project has created in the order of 6,800 jobs, and has spent $6 billion in Australia, of which $4 billion was in Queensland.”

Seeney said Arrow provided more than 1250 jobs for Queensland and used around 2000 contractors, on top of the three LNG plants, through its domestic gas and power generation and its CSG/LNG aspirations.

He said the CSG/LNG industry was building a highly skilled workforce which continued to deliver on large resource projects.

“The expertise of these workers will provide newly-honed skills that can transfer to other major developments in Queensland in the future,” he said.

“The CSG/LNG industry is a crucial driver in getting the Queensland economy back on track.”

It is estimated that the LNG boom in Australia will lift Australia from the fourth largest LNG producer to the first, knocking Qatar off its perch.

In Queensland the three projects currently under construction are expected to produce 28.8 Mtpa of LNG, with the first shipment expected late next year.